Many Faces of Zuko
by neldluva
Summary: A series of drabbles that started as a response to a writing meme I put out on my livejournal. Includes Zuko/Sokka, Zuko/Mai, ZukoandToph BFF. Some smut, some crack, some angst. Rated M for some explicit m/m sex in one chapter.
1. Chapter 1

From a request by beckyh2112: Zuko/Sokka, cross-dressing. _It's not that it's unmanly, because Zuko can't think of anyone more manly than his father and uncle and they wear robes all the time; it's that he isn't sure how to _fight_ in this thing._

_

* * *

  
_

The dresses really aren't the worst part to get used to. He's worn robes before when his father used to call him to formal meetings that required strict tradition, and there really isn't that much difference between a robe and a dress.

"It's _tradition_!" Sokka insists, tying the belt tighter around his waist. "You have to do it."

"You mean I haven't suffered enough indignity?" Zuko grumbles.

"It's not indignity, it's ... here, just sit."

Zuko glares daggers until Sokka makes him close his eyes, brushing on makeup that feels cold and heavy on his face. He can't help the small intake of breath, the fire that dances on his fingertips as Sokka dabs it over the rough skin of his scar. As the stuff dries, it feels like a mask, like it will crack and shatter if he smiles or frowns.

"There," Sokka says at last, stepping back and putting his face next to Zuko's in the mirror.

Zuko opens his eyes, and for the first time in years, sees no scar, just the white and red and black that Kyoshi warriors wear. He turns his head so he can look at Sokka with his good eye.

"Okay, now are you going to teach me how to move in this? It's so heavy."

Sokka just grins, twirling in his own heavy skirts and trying not to trip. "Easy. If Suki can do it, so can we."

Zuko rises and promptly trips over the skirt. "I hate you," he grumbles affectionately.


	2. Chapter 2

From a request by lazra: Iroh: Zuko, did you drink my tea?  
Zuko: Sorry, Uncle. I was thirsty.  
Iroh: ...  
Zuko: What?  
Iroh: That wasn't tea...It was my pain medication for that back injury during my military years.  
Zuko: !!!

* * *

"Zuko, did you drink my tea?"

Zuko looked over his shoulder at his uncle, still working on preparing a fresh pot for a waiting customer. "Sorry, Uncle. I was thirsty, and the next pot is just finishing up."

Iroh stared at him, eyes wide.

Zuko frowned. "What?"

"That wasn't tea," Iroh said quietly, putting a hand on Zuko's shoulder. "It was my pain medication for a back injury during my military years."

Zuko paled, clutching his stomach. "What's in it?"

"Just pain medication. It is very strong, though. How do you feel?"

A grin spread over Zuko's face, and his eyes glazed. "_Glorious_," he said, walking over to Iroh and giving him a big hug. "I love you, Uncle."

Iroh stiffened at the unaccustomed show of affection. "Nephew?"

"I really love you, Uncle. Let's go have a picnic later today." Zuko's grin grew sillier. "We can go run through a meadow! Maybe we'll find bunnies!"

"Zuko, I think you need to lie down," Iroh said, gently leading Zuko back to their beds in the back of the tea shop.

Zuko went peacefully, not resisting as Iroh pushed him into bed. "I love you so much, Uncle. I just want you to know that."

Iroh couldn't help a small smile. "I love you too, Nephew. Now go to sleep."


	3. Chapter 3

From a request by avocado_love: Zuko learns how the men of the water tribe stay warm on those cold nights. Hint: Porn. :)

As you might expect by the request, this is the chapter with the explicit sex. Please feel free to skip if you don't like boyporn, or if you're underage and likely to get caught. ;)

* * *

Autumn on the South Pole was positively _miserable_. Zuko couldn't imagine for the life of him why anyone would choose to live there. In the Fire Nation, autumn was a blissful respite from the hellishly hot summer. On the South Pole, it apparently meant going from tolerably cool to freezing cold, though everyone assured him that it would get colder when the winter came. He regretted that becoming Fire Lord meant diplomatic vacations to all ends of the planet, including the icy poles.

He huddled in his sleeping bag, fully dressed in the borrowed parka and lined pants and boots, and still felt frozen from head to toe. He breathed fire on his fingers, for all the good it did with the mittens on. He hadn't felt his nose in hours. He was _miserable_.

Suddenly, the flap on his tent opened, letting in a burst of icy night air. Zuko gave an undignified squawk and pulled the sleeping bag over his face, shivering and silently cursing the weather. He was further surprised and annoyed when someone lifted the top of his sleeping bag and squirmed in next to him.

"What ... what..." he sputtered, trying to light a small flame so he could see who it was.

"Shut up," whispered a voice Zuko instantly recognized as Sokka's. Of course it was Sokka. No one else would dare. His breath misted between them. "It's _freezing_ out there, and I need to warm up."

"So what are you doing here? I thought your tent's over that w-way…" Zuko couldn't help the shiver that hitched his words. He didn't mind the extra company that much, but he wouldn't have thought Sokka would want to share a bed with his family sleeping two pieces of skin and five feet away. He remained stiff next to Sokka, trying not to touch him too much.

"This is the best way," Sokka replied, putting his arms around Zuko and leaning in close. "Sharing body heat. Otherwise we freeze."

Zuko grudgingly admitted that it was nice to have Sokka breathing on him and bringing feeling back to his nose, and his arms were nice and warm. He breathed more fire between them, careful not to burn their clothes, and it slowly became a tolerable temperature in the sleeping bag.

Then Sokka began undressing him.

He squawked again, batting away his hands. "No! It's freezing out here, you can't take my clothes off!"

"I'm still cold," Sokka murmured, pulling off his mittens and burrowing his icy fingers against Zuko's waist under the parka. "Skin to skin is better. Just unfasten the front of your parka."

Zuko kept grumbling, but he was still cold too, so he quickly unfastened their parkas and pressed closer. They were both warming up nicely now, but somehow Zuko suspected it wasn't the skin-to-skin contact ... though that was definitely a contributing factor. Sokka's arms gripped him tight, pressing them flush against each other, and Zuko felt his breathing coming a little quicker.

"Know another good way to warm up?" Sokka asked quietly, brushing his nose against Zuko's.

"What?" Zuko asked, though he already had a pretty good idea of what Sokka would suggest. He licked his lips with anticipation.

Sokka grinned in the dim moonlight entering the tent and stuck his (no longer icy) hand down Zuko's pants. Zuko choked on a cry, gripping his shoulders hard and rocking into it.

"Mmm," Sokka sighed, pushing at Zuko so he could get on top and using his free hand to rearrange the sleeping bag so they were still covered. "You're always so warm..."

Zuko frowned, about to point out the obvious _yet again_ ("I'm a fucking firebender, you know that"), when Sokka leaned down to kiss him. At first he relaxed into it just because it was nice to have Sokka's face so close, warming his cold cheeks and nose. Then he really started to enjoy it, opening his mouth to let Sokka's tongue explore his.

Sokka moaned into his mouth, stroking him harder and pushing his pants down. "Can't … can't really get undressed here," he murmured when they parted for air. "Too cold. So we'll just keep most of this on. Still doing okay?"

"Fuck, yes," Zuko hissed, pushing his hips up into Sokka's grip. He opened his eyes, watching the moonlight cast shadows over most of Sokka's face. "Could be doing better, though. I thought you were gonna warm me up?"

"Working on it, working on it. Jeez, so impatient. I'm not used to doing this in a sleeping bag." He pulled at Zuko's pants, tugging them down to his knees, and they scrambled to get into a more comfortable position without taking off any more clothes. "I mean," Sokka continued, "the sheer _logistics_ of working this out in such a small space…"

"Will you please stop thinking about it?" Zuko groaned, as quietly as he could. He pulled Sokka's hips closer, digging his fingers in and deliberately heating them up. "For the next five minutes, just shut up about the fucking logistics and get on with it?"

"Five minutes?" Sokka said, affronted, and his voice cracked. "Five minutes? I'm almost definitely sure it's longer than that…"

Zuko yanked him closer by his hair. "Sokka," he growled, pushing his heated hands down Sokka's pants.

Sokka immediately came to attention, and Zuko moaned quietly as he felt one mysteriously slick finger push into him. He squirmed back against it, holding Sokka's hips tight.

"Gotta be quiet, remember," Sokka murmured, smirking against his neck. "Walls are thin around here."

Zuko growled again. "Remember that thing I said, the one about shutting up?"

Sokka just grinned more and pushed another finger in. The move made Zuko let go of his hip and slap one hand over his mouth, trying to contain his moans. He could feel each knuckle of Sokka's fingers, pushing in and wriggling against all the right spots. It was too much and not enough, not deep enough, and it felt weirdly intimate to barely be able to see Sokka except for the silver light gilding his ear and one cheek.

Zuko slowly removed his hand from his mouth, pulling Sokka into another kiss. "Now," he rasped, struggling to spread his legs more in the confines of the bag and with his pants around his knees.

Grunting quietly with assent, Sokka removed his fingers and fussed more with his clothes. A couple more bruises later, he pushed in, moaning into Zuko's mouth. "Hot, hot, hot," Sokka muttered, slowly starting to move his hips.

Zuko bit his lips, trying to keep quiet as Sokka started a steady pace. Now _that_ was just right, nice and deep and just rough enough. He was no longer cold – in fact, the sleeping bag had become downright cozy, and his hands grew slick with sweat as he clung to Sokka's shoulders under the parka that covered them. He rocked harder against Sokka, turning his head to bury his teeth in Sokka's shoulder.

Sokka hissed and started moving harder into him, breathing roughly against his neck. "Fuck," he continued to mumble. "So hot, feels good … _more_, fuck, Zuko…"

Zuko would have told him to be quiet, but he was busy trying to muffle himself against Sokka's shoulder. He clung tighter, groaning through his nose and bucking harder against him.

"Yes," Sokka grunted quietly, reaching between them to stroke him again. "Nice and warm, just like this…"

Zuko bit back a sharp cry, arching off of the ground as he came, shuddering helplessly. Sokka panted against his neck, licking at hot sweat, and thrust hard as he came close behind. Zuko held him close, feeling the first touch of dangerously icy air against his sweaty face as his heart rate slowed and adrenaline wore away. Moving slowly, he yanked the top of the sleeping bag and the hood of Sokka's parka to cover their faces.

"Mmm, thanks," he sighed, shifting to relieve the cramp in his thigh. "Nice and warm now."

Sokka just chuckled breathlessly, bit at his lip, and fell asleep.


	4. Chapter 4

From a request by spyridona: Toph and Zuko; they fight crime!

This has spawned into an AU, so expect to see more like this one in the future.

* * *

Flamethrower and the Blind Bandit strolled along, honestly innocent for once as they licked at their celebratory ice cream cones.

"A good night's work, Flamethrower," the Blind Bandit said, still sounding a little smug. "Very nice."

"You didn't do so bad yourself," Flamethrower replied, a rare smile on his face. "I mean, you know. For a rookie."

"Rookie!" she shouted, and would have glared at him if her eyes hadn't been covered by their customary blindfold. "And who almost got his ass handed to him tonight by a petty thief with a knife?"

Flamethrower grumbled, looking down. "Not everyone has sonar…"

"And then I had to save you," she continued, stomping so the ground shook. "If it hadn't been for me, you would've been carved up, Mr. Know-it-all. Or you would've fried the guy to cinders."

Flamethrower shrugged. "Hey, it's what I do. Better than just throwing rocks around … _sidekick_," he teased.

"Oh puh-leeze," the Blind Bandit groaned, rolling her eyes behind the blindfold. "If anything, you're _my_ sidekick."

"Me? A sidekick? Don't make me laugh." Flamethrower laughed anyway. "By the way, you've got chocolate on your … well, all over your face."

She punched him in the arm and made no move to wipe her face off. "Jerk," she muttered, though she was still smiling.

Flamethrower smiled back, though she couldn't see it. They had discovered each other by accident some months ago as they both ran down the same bank robber, and she had thrown rock handcuffs around his wrists while he threw fire. Together, they made a pretty tough team, with her incredible fighting skills and his charisma. They even had a real headquarters and everything, even if it was just the basement of Flamethrower's uncle's tea shop.

"Hey," she said after a while. Her ice cream cone was almost gone, and she had wiped her face on her sleeve. "You ever think of teaming up with other people? Like, forming a team of all the elements, and taking on the big bad guys? It would be so epic."

He blinked, slightly startled by the question. "I … no. Not really. I don't think that would go well. You and me work okay, but fire and water don't mix as well. I met Wave Rider once and … well, she threatened to kill me with spikes of ice. And Whiz Kid has some kind of divine destiny, or that's what he said to me when I met him."

"Wait, wait," she said, gasping with laughter. "She … she threatened to kill you? What happened? You set her hair on fire?"

"No," he grumbled, scuffing one foot as he walked. "… Just her sleeve. And she put it out really quickly, before she even got burned."

The Blind Bandit cracked up, clutching her stomach as she was overcome with laughter. "You … you set her on fire! You _dork_!"

"Hey, can you shut up about it for five seconds?" he growled, shoving lightly at her shoulder. "I was still learning to aim."

"Oh … oh, that's a good laugh," she said, still breathless and wiping tears from beneath her blindfold. "I heard a rumor, once. You know Captain Boomerang? I heard he's her brother."

Flamethrower snorted quietly. "That guy's a cheap Batman ripoff. No bending at all."

"Don't knock it. I heard he's pretty badass. He might make another good sidekick for the Blind Bandit." She grinned in his direction.

He chuckled and ruffled at her hair. "Maybe in a couple years, rookie."


	5. Chapter 5

From a request by ivy_chan: Zuko/Mai, chai tea in Uncle's tea shop, bad news.

* * *

Green, black, red, white. The teas in the Jasmine Dragon were organized neatly into their individual categories and flavors. Uncle Iroh had them color-coded for easy fetching by his employees. It was neat, almost spotless except for the dust that had accumulated.

Zuko's fingers caught on a small canister of chai tea. His uncle hated the stuff, which was so unlike his bitter, subtle green tea. He had bought it mostly for Zuko, on their travels. Zuko didn't mind the spicy, energizing black tea, served best with sugar and some deercow milk. Chai had been hard to come by as they traveled the Earth Kingdom, but somehow or another Iroh had gotten his hands on some, straight from the Fire Nation. It brought back memories of dusty Earth woods, the crackling fire between them, Iroh turning his nose at Zuko's too-sweet tea but secretly smiling to see his nephew enjoy it.

Those times had come to a permanent end, though. There would be no more ostrichhorse rides over the plains, no nights spent in a cave with Iroh snoring five feet away, fit to wake the dead. No more late nights as he tried to teach Zuko the patience and strategy to play pai sho as they sipped their respective teas.

Zuko fingered the white lotus tile in his pocket and reached for the chai, carefully measuring out the leaves and setting the water to boil.

He felt more than heard Mai as she entered the pantry of the Dragon. She was, as always, silent as a shadow, and yet she approached him cautiously. He looked back at her, gesturing at the teapot.

"I was just making some chai. Want some?"

She made a face and reached for a different canister. "I could never stand that stuff. It's too sweet. I'll have green tea."

He nodded and prepared the tea leaves for hers as well, putting them in a different pot, one of Iroh's old favorites with holly berries painted along the rim. When the water was ready, he poured it, and steam billowed up that smelled of those long hot days wandering Earth Kingdom backroads. He poured the tea, carefully stirring some milk and sugar into his.

Mai blew at the steam rising from her cup, watching her husband carefully. He had not cried yet. He hadn't cried when they received the news _("In his sleep," they said. "Peaceful as a lambcalf.")_. He hadn't cried at the ceremony, when he stood solemn-faced in his white robes next to their children as the pyre and the body burned to ashes. He hadn't cried on the trip over, the two of them and a handful of guards on the ship, or when they met the Avatar's earthbending teacher at the entrance to Ba Sing Se. The blind girl had been teary-eyed as she touched Zuko's arm, and he had held her close, but he had not cried.

But now she could see the lines of tension in his face, the slightest tremor of his hand as he sipped his tea. She could smell the spices of it lingering in the air between them.

"I never got to say goodbye," he said at last, voice quiet like he was still that boy from so many years ago. "I guess I thought he'd live forever."

"I think he will," Mai said, also quiet. She tasted jasmine in her tea. "I can still feel him in this place."

Zuko's lips tightened to a thin white line. "If he had been at home … at the palace, we could have treated him. He was always so stubborn."

Mai sighed and reached to hold his free hand. "He loved it here. He would have wanted to die here."

He squeezed her hand, looking back into the room and blinking a few times. "Stubborn old man."

Mai set down her tea and went to sit next to him, sliding her hand over his shoulders. He sat stiffly, shoulders tight, just as stubborn as he had accused Iroh of being.

"It isn't your fault, you know," she whispered. "It's no one's fault. And it's okay to be sad."

He lifted his sleeve to his cheek, turning his face away. He couldn't face his sadness now, the all-consuming grief that was all he could think of. He had to be strong, he couldn't afford that vulnerability. But then Mai's strong, slender fingers grabbed his chin and made him look at her. She was grieving too, he saw, and her eyes were damp with unshed tears.

She watched as his face crumpled, and she held him as he leaned forward, crying silent tears into the shoulder of the green Earth Kingdom robe. She bowed her head, running her fingers through his hair. "I miss him too," she said quietly, wiping at her own tears.


	6. Chapter 6

From a request by 61455w41k32: Zuko/Katara with fresh fruit...

* * *

"I have a game," Katara said, a mischievous smile curling around her lips.

Zuko gulped. Something in the way she said it made him think it wouldn't be quite as innocent as just a game, and for a long confused moment he wasn't sure whether to prepare for an attack or to get turned on.

"Sit here," she said, pushing him back into a chair. She put his arms behind the chair back and bent some water into ice around his hands and wrists, effectively handcuffing him in place.

He looked up at her, wondering just what was up. Her ice was strong, but with time he would melt it, even just with his naturally high body temperature. She was smirking, so she probably knew it too and didn't care.

"What," he started, and she slipped a blindfold over his eyes.

"It's a game," she repeated, tying it tight so he wouldn't be able to peek.

"What kind of game?" he asked, tilting his head to see if there was some angle that let him see.

"A fun kind of game," she said, settling in his lap and straddling his hips. "Open your mouth."

He frowned behind the blindfold. He was still suspicious, even as he slowly got used to Katara's new affection for him. He licked his lips and opened his mouth slightly.

Katara shifted and lifted something to his lips. "Eat this," she said quietly. "See if you can guess what it is."

He licked hesitantly, then let her put it in his mouth. "Plum," he said after he chewed. "A ripe plum."

Her thumb brushed over his lip, wiping up the extra juice. "Next."

Zuko readily opened his mouth this time, chewing thoughtfully. "Red melon."

"Uh huh." She pushed another, smaller piece of fruit to his mouth.

This one took him longer, and he frowned as he tried to recall the taste. "Raspberry," he said at last.

She pressed closer, smiling against his jaw. "Here," she said, brushing something else against his lips but not letting it entirely in.

He smiled slightly, opening his mouth to take a bite. "Mmm, strawberry," he sighed.

She pressed closer, wrapping her legs around him. "Ready for the next one?" she asked in his ear.

He nodded eagerly, feeling her shift as she got the next piece ready. He opened his mouth again, slightly startled when he felt not fruit, but her warm lips. She slid her tongue into his mouth, kissing him deep and slow so he could taste the fruit she had just eaten. Her lips were still sweet with it.

They pulled out of the kiss slightly breathless, and he reached up to remove the blindfold with his newly freed hands.

"Peach," he said, sliding one hand under her hair and smiling slightly. "A very delicious peach."

She blushed faintly and pecked again at the corner of his mouth.


End file.
